


Bookman Breads

by rabbitknight



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Baker Lavi can treat me like bread dough, Fluff without Plot, Just imagine that mountain of a man being true husband material more than he already is, Kanda doesn't deserve him, M/M, but he's the clostest of the cast to deserving him <3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:41:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27205396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rabbitknight/pseuds/rabbitknight
Relationships: Kanda Yuu & Lavi, Kanda Yuu/Lavi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Bookman Breads

Yuu wasn’t intending to visit any of the shops today when he left the safety of his apartment, but Life has a way of giving directions when you least expected them. He was prepared for a day out, pockets filled with the trappings of a brisk walk or the building blocks of a longer jog, and he left his heavier outerwear behind confidently. He couldn't stand to be indoors anymore, as much as he valued his privacy. Autumn had settled into its comfortable place at long last, lacing the air with a hint of chill and falling leaves, and the sun hung high overhead with wisps of wayward cloud.

It was peaceful- the feeling it filled his belly with when he stepped outside began to set his restlessness at ease, and his feet carried him into the downtown core. Yuu could let his mind wander freely with his body given another purpose, leaving the gloom behind him in the dusty corners of his home.

He was just finishing his second lap of the park, drifting out from under the cover of the trees, when he felt something hit his face. He wiped at it instinctively before another drop hit his raised hand. And then another, and another.  Grimacing, there were only a few options open to him when his head swiveled to look for cover and he made a mad dash for the first door in view. Yuu expected relief when he reached out and pulled on the door handle but, to his surprise, it was jarringly steadfast in the frame. 

It only took a moment for his eyes to spot the smaller sign taped to the inside of the glass -for the frustration of ‘ _Out for lunch, back at 13:30_ ’ to come and go- and Yuu hurried out from under the awning in an attempt to escape the worst of the drizzle. It was only growing steadier as he wasted time, hurrying to the next door and awning, and he clenched his teeth at the closed sign before Yuu picked up his pace to continue his search.  Lunch break, closed, shut down- Yuu could feel his shirt sticking to his shoulders slightly as he ducked into a doorway and grabbed hold of the door handle. 

It was properly raining, if not hard, and Yuu pulled on the door with a half-hearted plea for entry, and his eyes brightened as the door opened to meet him. Hurrying inside, Yuu didn’t even check the signage on the door as he stepped in out of the rain and let the door swing closed without a chime.

Inside, the warm air was thick with the savoury smells of herbs, and Yuu paused at the entrance to take it in as he looked around. He noticed that the lights were out except for the pot lights above the counters, now that he was less preoccupied with the weather bearing down on him, but Yuu could hear someone deeper inside. He could see someone moving through the racking, the brief glimpses of a tall figure, and he took an inquisitive sidestep around to where the employees passed in and out from behind the displays to get a better look.

Standing at the far end of the bakery, engrossed in his work, stood a tall red-haired man in a boxy, open-necked shirt the colour of old paper. With his back mostly to Yuu, it was easy for his broad shoulders to eclipse what he was working on. All Yuu could see for certain was the rocking back and forth of his elbows at his sides, the way his bodyweight leaned into each motion effortlessly, and he could almost pick up the low hum enough to identify the tune he was carrying. The redhead shifted, reaching for a tool and exposing the dough before him, and the tantalizing bits of tune seemed to change as he continued.

“Hmm, h-hm~” -Klak, klak! Thump.- “hmmm, hm hm~” -Klak! Thump, thump.- “Hmm, h-hm~” Klak! Thump.

Watching the strange baker set a jaunty tune to his work was engrossing, especially with how seamlessly he seemed to move dough from before him to the pans laid around him on the counters. He knew his art, his element, and before he knew it, Yuu had crossed his arms and leaned on the counter to watch. The warm room, the scents of oregano and thyme, the faint rumble in the man’s chest- he could stand to linger, especially in light of the rain, but the baker pulled up short when he turned around with a tray in each hand.

“Hmmm, h-hm, hmm- hm?” One eye widened, bangs hanging over his forehead, and his lips parted faintly before he recovered. “Oh, hey! I thought I locked the front. We’re not open 'til noon on Mondays,” He made no attempt to hide the fact that he looked Yuu up and down, gears whirring behind that bright boyish grin and his shamrock eye, and Yuu pulled back from the counter to draw up to his full height. “But I guess I can make an exception since you happened to waltz in. Life works in mysterious ways.”

He didn’t seem at all deterred by how the dark-haired man rose to meet him, pausing at cabinets along the way to slip the trays in to proof as if there was no hurry. Yuu watched him tousle his hands with one corner of the shabby apron around his waist before he was too close to inspect discretely anymore. His presence called his attention upward, to where he rested an arm on the display while his other pressed against his hip, and he bounced his eyebrows at the dark-haired man.

“Can I get you anything, or is this strictly window shopping?” He asked Yuu in a tone that did nothing to conceal the laughter hiding just beneath his customer service. Maybe he hadn't been as discrete as he'd thought. “The old man usually does all this, but a little treat now and then…” He trailed off, and glanced at the display for a moment. “and it’s not everyday I get to serve customers like you.”

"I'm not shopping. I don't like sweets." Yuu grunted, shaking his head, and he scowled at his chummy smile now as he stood there. He didn't know what about the redhead got under his skin, but his shoulders were already a little tense. "I'm avoiding the rain. That's it."  The baker's visible eye crinkled at the corners, head tipped to one side, and the redhead just smiled at him now as he reached behind the display. His hand reappeared, clutching a pair of tongs and bearing a baked good flecked with black spots, and he extended it to Yuu comfortably, nodding his head to the napkins on the counter.

“Then take a scone, on the house.” He insisted, and he waited expectantly until Yuu had to give in. He took a napkin and allowed the baker to drop the baked good into his grasp. The baker didn’t say much about it, despite the grin on his face, and he returned the tongs to the display distractedly before he added: “Don’t frown at me like I’m some kind of shady guy. I’m here working. Try it, see if it gets a smile out of you instead of me.” He was happy to keep working, rummaging to fill the display's final gaps, and Yuu frowned at the teasing tone before he gave the scone a long look.

He worked here, and Yuu could only be so prepared in advance…

What could be the harm?

Taking a bite of his unexpected snack, Yuu sunk his teeth into the soft baked good cautiously and the smell of vanilla that had made him wary of the sweet was deceiving. The inside was soft and moist still, clearly fresh, and while the lingering sweetness was aromatic, the taste of bitter black tea that greeted his tongue was a welcome discovery. Yuu paused, savouring it, before he finished chewing that bite, and Yuu pulled the scone away from his lips to inspect the crumb of it thoughtfully.

At least, until the baker chuckled, and Yuu looked up through his lashes to see that the taller man had folded both arms on the display to lean over it and watch him taste test his gift. Yuu's dark scowl appeared again, and yet the baker's smile only widened.

“Y’know, that wasn’t a smile on a pretty face, but seeing you look pleasantly surprised is good enough for me.” He told Yuu, shrugging. “If you’re going to make a face like that for something that  _ I  _ chose, I guess I’ve gotta let you pick something you like next.” His bold words and cavalier smile made Yuu frown deeper, this stranger so casual with him. He let Yuu finish the scone without much hassle, and Yuu's eyes followed reflexively as he waved a hand to the display. “Go ahead. What Gramps won’t know won’t hurt him. Can I get you anything else?”

With the rain still coming down outside, tinging the scenery with a haze as it bounced off the city streets, Yuu had nowhere to go for the time being and nowhere urgent to be.  Looking over the assortment of goods he had already prepared and then checking the time, the dark-haired man considered his options carefully as the baker offered a positive opinion about each of them and pointed a finger at one of the first things he’d mentioned to try. Yuu purposely didn’t take the seat by the window he offered him, ignoring the offer that he was welcome to stay as long as he wanted.  The dark-haired man didn’t know how long he’d prefer this redhead’s company over walking home in steady rain, the baker's jolly demeanor and the subtle teasing already beginning to play on his nerves.

However. Yuu's eyes may or may not have run over him as he retrieved the next sample for him. Standing next to the display like he was proving advantageous for doing so, but hey- it couldn’t hurt to indulge a little until the rain stopped.

**End**


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